Of course, the highly moral Chicago Tribune can’t seem to use the word “pussy” in print [pictured].
from www.chicagotribune.com – Jennifer LaPenta admits that if she’d known her T- shirt would land her in jail for two days, she probably wouldn’t have bought it. And she definitely wouldn’t have worn it to court.
LaPenta, 20, was jailed this week by Lake County Associate Judge Helen Rozenberg who held her in contempt for wearing the T-shirt in her courtroom. It was emblazoned with the words: “I have the (slang for female body part) so I make the rules.”
“The judge asked me if I thought the shirt was appropriate for the courtroom,” LaPenta said. “I said I didn’t think it was offensive but said I wouldn’t have worn it if I was the defendant.”
LaPenta, of Round Lake, said she offered to take the shirt off but that Rozenberg told her it was too late and was having her jailed for 48 hours for contempt of court.
“She just threw me in jail,” LaPenta said. “I’ve never been arrested in my life. It was very embarrassing.”
LaPenta said she wore the shirt to the gym for a workout and was asked by a friend to drive her to the courthouse in Waukegan so the friend could settle some minor traffic tickets. It wasn’t long after she sat down that Rozenberg summoned her to the front of the courtroom and asked about the slogan.
When LaPenta was released from jail Tuesday, she called Park Ridge attorney Peter Kalagis, who said he hopes to discuss the issue with the Lake County Presiding Chief Judge Victoria Rossetti. Neither Rozenberg nor Rossetti could be reached Wednesday.
“I didn’t mean to offend anybody,” LaPenta said.
from www.chicagoist.com – A Round Lake woman recently learned the hard way that it’s not a good idea to wear a t-shirt with the word “pussy” on it to court, even if it’s not your hearing. Not helping matters? An over-zealous judge. Jennifer LaPenta was attending the court hearing of a friend in Lake County court.
According to LaPenta, she had been wearing the t-shirt – which says, “I Have The Pussy, So I Make The Rules” – at the gym when a friend called her needing a ride to court. But Circuit Court Judge Helen Rozenberg wasn’t amused by the slogan and ordered LaPenta jailed for 48 hours. When the Rozenberg asked LaPenta if she thought the shirt was inappropriate, LaPenta said it would be if she were the one having the hearing. Later, LaPenta told the Sun-Times: “They should be out looking for people who are breaking the law, not arresting someone wearing a T-shirt.” Well, she’s right. Mostly.
Common sense should dictate you probably won’t get a warm reception in court by wearing such a shirt. Would it have been too difficult to ask the friend for a fresh shirt to borrow? We’re not talking church-on-Sunday threads, but just something a little more tasteful. That said, jailing a woman for two days over a t-shirt?
There are far better ways to spend the money and resources. The state is in such dire need of money that Gov. Quinn actually floated the kinda crazy idea of letting inmates out early. And while offenders of far worse crimes do manage to finagle their way out of prison early, throwing a woman in the clink for a t-shirt that has a dirty word? She didn’t throw an egg at the judge or even flip the judge off. Would it have been that hard for Rozenberg – who hasn’t commented on the story – to issue a $50 or $100 ticket for indirect contempt of court? Hell, there’s the cash the local government could use. But we digress. Guess we won’t be wearing that Big Johnson t-shirt to our next traffic court appearance. [via]